How do I stop my 1 year old from biting?

Question

My one year old son is starting to bite. He bites really hard, and for no reason at all. I've tried pinching his nose but that only makes him bite harder. He is starting daycare in a month and I know how strict they are on biter. (3 strikes and they are out) .. so I need to find an efective way to stop it. I've tried time out but hes too young to understand .. and sticking him in his room or crib only made him not want to sleep in there. PLEASE HELP!!

Answer 1

bite him back?

Answer 2

I wouldn't bite him back...

I would first try "fake cry" - make him real sad and aware it hurts.

OR, if your having big problems w/this....maybe even <hold onto ur seat> "lightly&slightly" tap the side of his cheek and say "no, that hurts. No biting" Thus, making him aware that his action was unacceptable.

Answer 3

My son is 14 months and he head-butts the ground and people! I found this article that was helpful. It focuses on butting but biting stems from the same kind of frustration.

It may seem alarming, but head butting  -- like biting or tantrums  -- is usually just another way toddlers show frustration or anger, says Pamela High, M.D., professor of pediatrics at Brown Medical School, in Providence. Other times it's the result of roughhousing gone too far.

Kids tend to stop butting once they start speaking and can get your attention with their words instead of by force. Until then, to curb your headstrong child:

Don't laugh, no matter how funny your kid can look charging headfirst; you'll only encourage him. Instead, let him know that it hurts by saying "No, that is not allowed" very firmly whenever he does it. Then, focus on consoling the buttee so your child realizes his action won't grab your attention.

Distract him. Direct his attention somewhere else.

Help him communicate in other ways. When Miles would head-butt, Jordan made an obvious show of trying to figure out what it was that he wanted. "If he was near the fridge, I'd hold up different foods until he stopped. That helped."

Banish bad influences. TV and siblings' video games can be rife with violence, so make sure the entertainment in your toddler's line of vision is age appropriate. Also, avoid physical punishment, which only teaches him that aggression's an acceptable way to handle a problem.

And Here's one on Biting:

One minute your toddler is playing nicely with another child; the next, he's sinking his teeth into her. It may worry you to see your kid acting like an animal, but the behavior is actually quite human.

Biting is a way some kids express anger or stress, says Alice Sterling Honig, Ph.D., professor emerita of child development at Syracuse University in New York. But you need to nip it in the bud, so:

Say no. Immediately (and firmly) tell him "no biting!" If he bit another child, show him the right way to act by caring for the other child.

Don't bite him back. It may be tempting to show him what it feels like, but this will signal to him that it's okay to bite.

Give him other ways to express himself. Teach him simple phrases like "want that," "my toy," and "mine," so that he can use words --instead of teeth --to make a point.

Slow things down. A constant "on-the-go" feeling can stress toddlers out. Longer, more relaxed feedings and bath times, for instance, may help him feel calmer.

I hope this helps! It helped me understand why my son was doing this, cause I thought he was just plain crazy! LOL!

Good Luck & God Bless! :)

Answer 4

my 1 year old does the same thing. only i'm the only one he bites. i just give him a stern no as soon as he does it. 1 is young, but if you make sure to say it every time he will eventually stop. unfortunately this is a situation where he has to understand that you are upset with him. my son just turned 1 a month ago and i am sure that he understands no. he is not doing it as much either. sorry i couldn't be more help.

edit: i don't agree with the biting back because i don't think that teaches him that he shouldn't do it. i know that if i did that my son might think i am playing a game with him and i definitely don't want to bite him hard enough for it to hurt.

Answer 5

I don't know if this will be of any help but when my children turned 14 months we had a little bit of a biting problem for a couple days. I have twins so one did it the other one did it back. I tried NO, the tap on the hand, time out, biting back, the only thing that really seems to work was when you catch them biting ,like when they are going in for the bite put there arm in there mouth press a little firmly not too hard just enough, they know exactly what it feels like from there own mouth. My friend was the one that suggested it to me she got it out of one of her books. cuz they're teeth are a bit sharp. it has worked so far. no more bites! best of luck

Answer 6

Yeah the best thing to do is bite him back but not super hard just to let him know it hurts you.

Good luck

Answer 7

you cant just stop them from biting. they are growing teeth so every time he/she bites tell them strictly BUT NICELY no biting.

Answer 8

Smack him on the mouth!

Of course 'time outs' do not work - they only give the child time to sit and think of more things to do.